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The Alberta government has committed $38.5 million to the City of Beaumont to support the development of a new safety training campus south of Edmonton. The funding will help build roads, utilities and servicing infrastructure within the planned Beaumont Innovation Park, bringing the Alberta Motor Transport Association Safety Campus one step closer to reality.
A Specialized Campus for Drivers and Law Enforcement
The AMTA Safety Campus will offer hands-on, specialized training for both commercial drivers and law enforcement personnel. Planned facilities include an emergency vehicle operator track for high-speed driver training, a firearms range, scenario-based training areas and dedicated commercial vehicle training facilities.
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Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis praised the project’s potential impact. “This is going to really, truly change the landscape of this community in a positive way that I think is going to be groundbreaking, quite frankly,” he said. Ellis also noted that the investment would help create the foundation for a modern training facility serving Alberta’s public safety and commercial transportation sectors for years to come.
The City of Beaumont has already secured 160 acres of land for the campus. The site sits within the planned Beaumont Innovation Park, located south of Highway 625, between Highway 814 and Range Road 241.
Economic Benefits for Beaumont
Beyond its training purpose, the campus also carries significant economic promise for Beaumont. The community sits just five minutes south of Edmonton and has long functioned primarily as a residential area. Local leaders see the project as a meaningful step toward diversifying the city’s economic base.
Beaumont Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak highlighted the broader benefits. “It’s also going to help us diversify our tax base, so all of those are benefits in terms of creating opportunities, bringing in skilled professionals as well as labourers,” she said. She added that once construction begins, she expects momentum to build quickly.
Brandon Lunty, MLA for Leduc and Beaumont, also expressed strong support for the project. “As MLA for this region, I’m so proud of Beaumont and I can’t wait to see this come to life,” he said.
AMTA to Lead Construction and Operations
The Alberta Motor Transport Association will take responsibility for financing, building and operating the safety campus. However, no firm opening timeline exists yet.
Tim Bennett, chair of the AMTA, acknowledged the work ahead. “It’s up to us to go roll up our sleeves and say, ‘How do we build it, when can we have it first occupied?’ and move forward and continue to grow,” he said.
The province noted that bringing these training opportunities together would strengthen the existing relationship between law enforcement and Alberta’s commercial transportation industry. Alberta’s Sheriff highway patrol already works closely with the commercial sector on vehicle inspections, enforcement and safety standards. As a result, a shared training campus would build on that cooperation and improve outcomes across both sectors.
Minister Ellis summed up the investment’s long-term value. “Strong public safety depends on well-trained professionals and the infrastructure needed to support them,” he said. “This investment will help support economic growth and employment in the Beaumont region for years to come.”
